Cheezy Walnut Pasta Recipes

WALNUT PARSLEY LINGUINE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until it is 1-2 minutes short of perfectly cooked. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water then drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, heat a large 12" skillet (or large pot) over medium low heat. Add the olive oil, walnuts, and thinly sliced garlic. Sauté until toasty and the garlic is a pale golden in places, 3-4 minutes.
• Add the parsley and nutritional yeast and stir to coat. Cook about 1 minute to toast the nutritional yeast.
• Turn the heat to low and add the cooked pasta along with 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Stir together and let cook 1 minute or until the pasta is perfectly done. Add more pasta water if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve hot, garnished with additional parsley and pass vegan parmesan at the table.

CHEEZY WALNUT PASTA

Steps:

• Place the soaked and drained walnuts, broth, nutritional yeast, carrots, bell pepper and spices into a blender.
• Purée until very creamy and smooth. Taste, adding more salt/seasonings as desired.
• Toss with 8 ounces cooked hot pasta.

OLIVE-WALNUT PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water's boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
• While the pasta's cooking, in a large Dutch oven, stir together the olive oil, walnuts and olives. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and the walnuts are toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, finely grate in the garlic clove and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine.
• Add the pasta and 1/4 cup pasta water to the walnut mixture. Cook over medium-low, stirring and adding pasta water as needed, until the pasta is well coated. Remove from heat and stir in half the lemon zest and all the lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and more lemon zest.

CHEESY BAKED PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Crumble sausage into skillet, using a spoon to break it into small pieces. Cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes (if using), and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir in whole tomatoes and their juice, using a spoon to break them up. Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
• Stir in pasta and 1 cup water and return to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat, pluck out the bay leaves, and fold in about a third of the mozzarella.
• Top pasta with remaining mozzarella and dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then transfer to oven. Bake until pasta is tender when poked with a fork, and cheese is bubbly and lightly golden, 18 to 22 minutes. (If you'd like a more deeply browned topping, run the pan under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes.) Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Top with basil, plenty of black pepper, and more red-pepper flakes, if you like.

CARAMELIZED CABBAGE AND WALNUT PASTA

Steps:

• Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium. Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add cumin seeds and bloom for 15 seconds, then add the leeks, garlic, cabbage and 2 teaspoons salt, and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until wilted. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes without stirring. Check every few minutes to make sure the bottom is not burning. If needed, give it a stir.
• After 10 minutes, remove the lid from the cabbage and stir. Cover and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, until it is supersweet and tender. Taste and season with kosher salt.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions. When the pasta is ready, do not drain, but use tongs to drag the pasta out of its cooking water and straight into the pot with the cabbage. Add about 1 cup of pasta cooking water, along with the pecorino and the black pepper. Toss well to combine.
• Add lemon juice. Taste, adjusting seasonings with more salt, pepper or lemon, if needed. To serve, scatter with walnuts and finish with more pecorino and chopped chives, if using.

PASTA WITH CREAMY WALNUT PESTO

Steps:

• Boil the pasta. Meanwhile, put the walnuts and garlic in a food processor and whizz until finely chopped. Add the basil, cheese, butter and oil and pulse a few more times. Season.
• Pour the cream into a pan and warm through. Add two-thirds of the pesto, then gently heat to loosen it. When the pasta is ready, drain, reserving 2 tbsp of the cooking water, then mix both with the sauce. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the extra Parmesan and basil, if using. The leftover pesto will keep in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen for up to a month.

BROCCOLI, WALNUT AND BLUE CHEESE PASTA

Steps:

• Cook penne; 4 mins before the end of cooking, throw in broccoli florets. Meanwhile, heat olive oil, add a handful chopped walnuts and fry gently for 1 min.
• Drain the pasta, adding 4 tbsp cooking water to the walnuts. Return the pasta to the pan, add the walnuts and creamy blue cheese. Gently stir on the heat, just to melt the cheese. Squeeze over lemon juice to serve.